Fort Pond
Worcester County, MassachusettsView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- #12 of 24 in the county
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Fort Pond in Worcester County, Massachusetts has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L.
- Max depth
- ~45 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 4.1 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Fort Pond’s letter
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Fort Pond is a mesotrophic lake in Worcester County, Massachusetts with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2017. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 23 other monitored lakes in Worcester County, Fort Pond ranks #12 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, MassDEP, last sampled 2017-08-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Fort Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Fort Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 4.1 µg/L. TSI 44. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~45 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Massachusetts has not published bathymetry for Fort Pond.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Fort PondPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Fort Pond
EPA Impairment Status
Fort Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MA81046 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #12 of 24 lakes in Worcester County
Nearby Lakes in Worcester County
Frequently asked questions about Fort Pond
Where is Fort Pond?
- Fort Pond is a lake in Worcester County, Massachusetts. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Fort Pond?
- Fort Pond in Worcester County, Massachusetts has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L.
Is Fort Pond safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Fort Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Fort Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fort Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Fort Pond?
- Fort Pond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Fort Pond. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Fort Pond across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Massachusetts's top lakes, each with its grade
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Other Grade A Lakes in Massachusetts
Mesotrophic Lakes in Massachusetts
Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
MASSDEP3 samples · 2017
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory